Just a public service announcement, for those of you contemplating AOL 9.0… From the wonderful makers of hundreds of unrequested CDs in the 1990′s, they now can’t seem to produce a piece of software that doesn’t mess up your computer in ways not intended.

Not a good sign for a company trying to find its way in the new broadband world.

AOL’s free Internet client software has earned the company a slap on the wrist from StopBadware.org, a consortium set up to combat malicious software. In a report released today, the group advises users to steer clear of the software because of its “badware behavior.”

The report blasts the free version of AOL 9.0 because it “interferes with computer use,” and because of the way it meddles with components such as the Internet Explorer browser and the Windows taskbar. The suite is also criticized for engaging in “deceptive installation” and faulted because some components fail to uninstall.

Source: PC World – AOL 9.0 Accused of Behaving Like Badware

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 28 Aug 2006
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